Timing gear mechanism for explosive-engines.



' UNITED STATES kann Frio.

LN-DLEY D. HUBBELL, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICT, ASSIGNOR TO THE POPE MANU-FACTURING COMPANY, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CON-`NECTICUT.

No. seance,

Specification of Letters Patent,

Patented May 1s, 190e.

Application led April 27, 1908. Serial No. 429,524.

To all whom it may concern: l Be it knownthat I, LINDLEY D. HUBBELL, acitizen of the United States, residing ,at Hartford, in the countyfofHartford and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful TimingGear Mechanism for Explosive-Engines, of which the following'is aspecification.

This invention relates more particularly to the 'mechanismwhich isprovided for driving theinlet andA exhaust valve cam shaft, the magnetoshaft and the pump ,and fan driving shaft,- of an explosivey engine ofthe four-cycle gasoiene type designed `for 'pro elling automobiles,although it is applicab e to other types o f engines. In engines of thetype mentloned there is usually at the end of the crank shaft case, acase containing a pinion mounted on the-crank shaft, a gear lextendstains a liquid ubricant for lubricat l. of necessit in or er to reducefriction and Wear and e 'minate noise-and rattle', the case containingthese timing pinions and gears is packed with a thick grease or heavynon- 'quid lubricant. The adjoining crank case containing` the crankshaft, the end of which through the timing gear case, conkeeping coolthe fcrank and piston ro connections. ,fAs a result of' the high'speedof the gears and pinions in the timi gear case, the thick grease ischurnedy into a 'quid state and'is subjected to such pressure that inthe prior machines it wouldwork along the crank shaft into the crankcase .and mingle with and'thicken and impair the efficiency of theliquidlubricant therein, and it would also Iwork out around the endofthe crank shaft and also around the inlet and exhaust valveV camshaft, the magneto'l shaft and the pump and fan driving shaft, and evenaround the screws which are used to fasten the cover to the gear case,to such an extent that it would not only soil the crank case, the

.and

timing gear case, and the adjacentparts of the machine, but wouid alsocause such loss that in order. to keep' the timing gears properlylubricated to prevent wear and eliminate no1se,'the timing gear caseWould have to be refilled with grease after the machine had been run acom aratively few miles.

The object o .this-invention is to provide a very simple constructionwhereby the thick rease whichis churned up` by the rapidly lfriventiming gears is prevented from work- ,l ng back into the crank case andescaping around the several shafts so that the machine maybe run a greatmany miles without necessitating the refilling ofv the timing gear caseWith grease;

` .Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is a front view ofthe timinggear case with the cover removed, and showing the crank shaft drivingpinion, the inlet and exhaust valve cam shaft gear, the magneto drivingshaft pinion, the pump and fan driving shaft pinion and the severalintermediate gears and pinions. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of thetiming gear case and its contents' taken on the dotted line 2-2 onFig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the timing gear caseadjacent to the crank shaft, on the dotted line 3-`3 on Fig. 1. Fig. 4shows details of the means arranged Iin the timing gear case at the endof the crank shaft for preventing the esca e of grease through the coverof the case at t e end of thecrank shaft.

` The timing gear case 1 which may be in one or more pieces, and itscover 2, which is screwed or bolted thereto, are made of sonic thinlight material, preferably aluminum, and are fastened to the front endof thc cngine case in'V any suitable manner.

The crank shaft 3 is shown as extending p through a bushing 4 insertedinto an opening in the end ofthe crank case 5 and an opening in the gearcase. The front end of the crank shaft extends through Aan opening inthe cover of the gear case and outside of the case bears theusualratchet 6-for the en agement` of the engine starting crank. l T ecrank shaft in the section lying Within the front end of the bearingbushing is provided with two or more short grooves 7 that are inclinedwith relation to the axis of the shaft in such manner that when thecrank shaft rotates, these grooves collect any grease that attempts toescape through the bushing around the crank shaft, and forces .it backlinto the gear case. About the crank shaft Where it extends through thecover of the gear case is press the acking against the surface of thecrank sha t.- In the gland lin front of the Washeris a spring 11 andscrewed upon the end of the gland about the crankshaft outside of thf`cover of the case so as to compress the spring against the Washer and.hold the lgland tightly in place is a capy 12. This constructionprevents the escape of grease from 15 the gear case through the coverabout the end of the crank shaft.

On thecrank shaft .in the gear case is a pinion 13. This pinion mesheswith an intermediate gear 14 mounted on a stud, Which meshes with a gear15 that is mountedon the end of the shaft 31 Which bears the cams thatoperate the inlet and exhaust valves of the engine. This camshaft doesnot project through the cover of the gear case, but is su ported by abearing bushing 16 Which is h lll by a sleeve 17 that is secured to theback of p the gear case by any suitable means. This cam shaft in thesection Which is supported by the bushing is provided with one or moreinclined grooves 18 so arranged that When the' shaft rotates the groovecollects any grease Which attempts to Work through the bushing aroundthe shaft and forces it back into the gear case.

The gear on the end of the inlet and ex- /haust valve cam shaft mesheswith an intermediate pinion 19 which meshes With a pinion 20 on the endof the shaft 21 which is provided With a clutch 22 that is adapted toengage and rotate the shaft of the magnetoy Which produces the currentfor the fuel explosion sparks. The magneto shaft is supported by abushing 23 in the back of the gear case and inthe section of the shaftthat is thus supported is an inclined groove 24 Which collects thegrease which attempts to escape through 'the bushing around this shaftand forces it backinto the gear case when the shaft is rotated, and thusprevents the escape of grease around the magneto shaft. The intermediategear 14 Which is driven by the crank shaft pinion also meshes with anintermediate gear 25 which meshes With a pinion 26 on the end of theshaft 27'Which is used to drive the Water pump and fan. This shaft doesnot extend through the cover of the gear case but is supported by abushing 28 arranged in the hub 29 that projects from the back of y thegear case, and is provided With a groove 30 that is inclined to its axisin such manner as to collect grease which attempts to escape through thebushing around the shaft and return it to the gearcase when the pinionro.- tates t he shaft.- Asthis shaft rotates in a direc'tien opposite todirection of rotation ef the crank shaft, valve camshaft and magnetoshaft, the groove is made in the reverse direction.

By means of this constructionwhen the I* gears and pinions are rotatingat high speed,

and the thick grease is chu'rned up and subjected to considerablepressure,.the grease cannot escape from the case around the sev-` eralshafts tothe crank case and .to the at mos'phere, for it is collectedand forced back into the gear case by'the `several inclined grooves ontheshafts.. The only opening in the cover, which Vis fastened verytightly against the body of the, gear case, isthat through which thestarting end of the crank shaft projects, and grease cannot escapethroughthis opening on account ofthe packing device arranged in the caseon the crank shaft atthis place. Asa result-of'this very simple`construction the lubricant in the crank case cannot vbecome thickened bygrease from the gear case, nor can the grease from the gear case escapeso as-to soil the.

adjacent arts of the machine' and necessitate a ref vals.

The invention claimed is:

of the gear case at short inter- 1. In a .timing mechanism for anexplosive engine in combination, a gear case, a crankl shaft extendingthrough. the gearcase, said crank shaft having in a section of itsbearing periphery an inclinedgroove that opensinto the gear case, avalve cam shaft extending into the gear case, said cam shaft havin' inits bearing eriphery an inclined groove that opens into t e'gear case, amagneto shaft extending into' the gear case, said magneto shaft havingin-its bearing peri hery an in# clined groove that o ens into t e gearcase, a pump shaft exten ing into the gear case, said pump shaft havingin its bearing periphery an inclined groove vthat opens into the :gearcase, and gears and pinions mounted on said shafts and sointermeshingthat the several shafts are driven from the crank shaft substantially asspecified.

2. In a timing mechanism for an explosive engine in combination, a crankcase, a tightly closed timing gearcase secured to the end of the crankcase, ya crank shaft extending from the crank case through the gearcase, said` crank shaft having about its periphery and in the gear casea gland and a packing Within the gland, and means on the outside of thegear case for securing the gland in place, a valve cam shaft extending.into the gear case, a magneto shaft extendingi-nto the gear case, apump driving shaft extending into` the gear case and gears and pinionsmounted on said shafts and so iritermeshing that the severalshafts aredriven from the crank shaft, subv stantially as specified. A l

3. In a timing mechanism foran explosive engine in combination, a gearcase, a crank shaft extending through the gear case, said c'ain shaftextending into the gear case,'said cam shaft having in its bearingeriphery an inclined groove that opens into t a magneto shaft extendinginto the gear case, said magneto shaft having in its .bearing peripheryan inclined groove that opens into the gear case, a pump shaft exten inginto the gear caseI said pump shaft having in its bearing periphery aninclined groove that opens into the gear case, and gears and pinionsmounted on said shafts and so inter# meshing lthat the several shaftsare driven fon the crank shaft, substantially as specie e gear case,l

l 4. In a timing mechanism for an explosive engine in combination, acrank case, a tightly closed timing gear case secured to the end of thecrank case, a crank shaft extending from the crank case through thegear' case, a pinion on said shaft in the gear case, said crank shafthaving in its periphery in a bearing at one side of the pinion aninclined groove that opens into the gear case only, and having on itseriphery in the gear case at the other side of 51e pinion a gland, witha aching in`said gland, and means outside of the gear case forcompressing the packing in said gland, substantially as specified.

LINDLEY D. HU BBELL.

Witnesses:

W. J. FULLER, GEO. F. WEEKS.l

